Hot Weather Clothing

[M14]

I just came back from a local Army Navy Store with 5 army manuals. I read one army manual (TM 10-276) from 1970 about Hot Weather Clothing And Equipment. The manual is usefull for me becuse since I own tons of Vietnam era gear, I have most of the stuff they talk about and its around to 90 degresse on Long Island. Anyway one thing the manual said is that all the hot weather clothing is made to be loose fitting to encourage airflow. After I read the line that metioned that I thought about what the army uses today. Vests. They are usually tight and heavy and will pull the fatiuges close to you body causing less airflow. Soldiers are even using them in the desert. Obviously the manual is over 30 years old and might be a little outdated but still, I dont get it. I only own and know about gear from or before the Vietnam era, so maybe I just never learned something. Also one thing I dont understand at all is last saturday when I played airsoft in 90 degree weather everyone was putting on huge vests and all that fancy stuff. I knew they would get tired and I see them 5 hours later off the field sweating and all tired. One kid even had to go to the hospital for heat exaustion. Again obviously they are not trained soldiers and might not be in the best shape but I just dont understand the reasoning behind vests, in hot or cold weather. I keep telling the people why do you think there is pockets of your fatiuges but they will just never take off the damn vests. Sorry if this question is stupid.

[101matt1]

ALICE webbing might be more comfortable but it can't stop a 7.62.

[Gdidy]

mil soft

[Jagdraben]

Mostly because Western combat utilities are designed for temperate environments and then adapted for hot weather, rather than using different uniform designs for different environments.

[M14]

ALICE webbing might be more comfortable but it can't stop a 7.62.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

True, but so what. I would rather have mobility and speed than be weighed down with bullet stopping material. Also you have to remember you head and limbs will not stop any bullets and multiple shots to the vest, which happens often lot in close quarters, will eventually hit a unprotected area or punture the vest.

 

When my father was first in the FDNY they didnt wear all the modern protective gear and after a few years they made them wear all the new bunker protective gear and he always told me it did more harm than good. It covered up your senses and gave people a false sence of security. In the end just as many, maybe more, people died or got seriously hurt.

[Jagdraben]

Better to hydrate a lot than to go home in a cedar box.

[M14]

Hydrating can do more harm than good. Once you get heat exaustion, which is easy in fighting where you might not have a chance or forget to, your not supposed to drink a lot of water. Just a little. If you drink a lot it will just make it worse.

 

Even if you drink 100 quarts, you will still be slower and bulkier than normal. The vest is probably to be more polliticly correst than anything else. The govrnment doesnt want to see soldiers come back to the states in coffins so it makes sence in a fancy government building that putting more armor on a soldier will save them but in accual combat is could do more harm than good.

[Jagdraben]

The guys who get to pick their gear disagree. Vehemently. Let's be frank. They're fighting in an urban environment. Generally mounted. They don't have a whole lot of room to maneuver. Dropping armor is a deathwish and it has and will continue to save lives.

 

And you hydrate to keep from getting heat exhaustion.

 

Helpful hint: Cops wear their armor. They kvetch about it, but they do it. And what they kvetch about isn't regulations or brass. It's that they're heavy and hot and uncomfortable. But no cop would be without one, because they can and do save lives.

[aznsk8s87]

I read in an article about vests that had been fitted with certain things to maximize airflow. Didn't quite understand all the technical stuff, though, but the gist of it was maximizing airflow makes for a cooler vest.

[scenicsquare]

The guys who get to pick their gear disagree. Vehemently. Let's be frank. They're fighting in an urban environment. Generally mounted. They don't have a whole lot of room to maneuver. Dropping armor is a deathwish and it has and will continue to save lives.

 

And you hydrate to keep from getting heat exhaustion.

 

Helpful hint: Cops wear their armor. They kvetch about it, but they do it. And what they kvetch about isn't regulations or brass. It's that they're heavy and hot and uncomfortable. But no cop would be without one, because they can and do save lives.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

no kidding.

 

iraq should be a slaughterhouse right now, but it isn't - for two reasons. one being the increased level of medical technology that we enjoy, and the second being body armor that can actually stop a 7.62.

 

those things save a hell of a lot of lives, and there's no way that that can do 'more harm than good'.

[M14]

I would deffinetly wear a vest in an urban area but I more talking about the soldiers fighting in the mountains in Iraq and Afganistan.

[azsworst]

The key is pre-hydrating,drink good amounts of water 1-2 days prior to your game (make sure your pee is clear...that's the indication that your body is properly hydrated). Here in Tucson Arizona our saturday games are ALWAYS in 100+ weather during most of the summer, so most guys I play with will fill a camelbak halfway the night before and freeze it, then fill it up in the morning.

 

If you can't do that, have the guys pitch in on water/ice and a cooler. After each game we have a "cooldown" period were most of us take our gear off and drink some water...it's better to take 10-15 minutes of cooling off then getting heat exaustion.

 

And try to get out early. Most of the games that I've played this summer have started around 6-630....since getting out before the sun is fully up is the only way we can get in some good games.

[KWP]

Are you talking about real world or Airsoft?

 

In real life, there's is no doubt you need a body armour.

 

In Airsoft, you can do whatever you want. You could come in Pyjamas if you like.

[ruchik]

generally speaking, you use the "thirst plus one" rule for exercise. drink till you're not thirsty anymore, then drink one more cup of water. this is generally sufficient for about an hour of heavy exercise. gatorade does not work effectively unless you exercise for over an hour. for 30-60 mins., about 1 cup of water will suffice. as was stated above, drinking too much water will inhibit your performance instead of boosting it.

[Chrissyg]

Are you talking about real world or Airsoft?

 

In real life, there's is no doubt you need a body armour.

 

In Airsoft, you can do whatever you want. You could come in Pyjamas if you like.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

Only if they were tactical pyjamas.

[Little para]

NATO approved tactical pyjamas.

[Crimson]

4 Words !

 

Crye crye precision combat apparel !

 

I have the combat top and no matter how hot it gets or how much running i do i am always cool and dry !

[Karabiner]

4 Words !

 

Crye crye precision combat apparel !

 

I have the combat top and no matter how hot it gets or how much running i do i am always cool and dry !

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

British desert DPMs are good in hot weather, and there's are a lot going around at the moment with Afghanistan an' all

[DazJW]

The things Airsoft International are getting (they're available in a few other places) look to be good for under vests. Rip stop sleeves like a normal combat shirt/jacket but wicking fabric over the body.

 

I'm not sure if they're tight in the body like an Under Armour heatgear tops or Nike Pro gear though. I've got a Nike Pro top and I'm not sure it would work if it wasn't tight. That said the vest will probably compress the shirt to your body and solve the problem.

 

And on the subject of that manual's instructions, isn't baggy stuff supposed to be more insulating (thus warmer) because of the layer of air which is kept warm by your body?

[razor_sharp]

 

most guys I play with will fill a camelbak halfway the night before and freeze it, then fill it up in the morning. 

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

 

As your the ones playing in that temperature you probably know better from experience, but in theory iced water when your hot is a bad thing. Confuses the thermoregulatory centre leading to your bodys methods of cooling, i.e. sweating, vascodilation etc. to halt, or reduce in effectiveness.

 

As i said before though, if it works in practice, screw the theory.

 

Cheers, razor

[Aod]

As your the ones playing in that temperature you probably know better from experience, but in theory iced water when your hot is a bad thing. Confuses the thermoregulatory centre leading to your bodys methods of cooling, i.e. sweating, vascodilation etc. to halt, or reduce in effectiveness. 

 

As i said before though, if it works in practice, screw the theory.

 

Cheers, razor

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

room temperature water is generally thought to be better for you if you're hot.

 

many people have reasons why, but i feel that its better because i can actually drink it properly.

 

with ice-cold water, people usually endup sipping at it, drinking maybe a single cup in 10 minutes. with room-temperature water, i can drink a cup a minute = better hydration = better for the body.

 

i can't say thats a fact, but i can say that thats why i prefer it.

[M14]

In real life if I was in Iraq, I would deffinetly wear body armor in a urban area although I might not if I had to hike up a damn mountain. Anyway, in airsoft there is absolutly no need for a buly vest. I see people every weekend at the airsoft field come off it sweating and exausted. Obviously they are not 100% in shape like a soldier is but Im starting to think (heavy) vests, in airsoft just dont work.

[w733commando]

What is this 'Hot Weather' everyone is talking about?

[DazJW]

Been pretty warm up here for the past 2/3 days.

[w733commando]

Still one of the most disappointing summers ever, oh well, what are holidays for eh?